Monthly Archives: February 2012

Why Criticism is Always Constructive

Criticism is a necessary evil—hard to accept, but ultimately beneficial. The true problem with critical comments stems from the motivation that lies behind them, and this issue often manifests in the delivery of the remarks. Competition in the workplace can significantly contribute to negative feelings between co-workers and give rise to critical attacks. The most successful leaders are those who can hear the unkind words, determine what can be learned from them, and continue to move forward without letting emotions cloud their judgment or affect their performance. A positive spin can be put on even some of the most hurtful statements. These instances should always be treated as learning experiences. You’re learning something, no matter if it’s merely to guard yourself from the verbal attacks of particular peers or if it’s to better proofread the emails you send out.

Keep these tactics in mind when scathing remarks are thrown your way:

1.    Don’t overreact. Try to remain calm, and remember to control your anger. Fighting back will only worsen the already unfortunate situation. Any unprofessional responses should be saved for an appropriate time or place, behind closed doors. Don’t forget that there is no room for a personal problem in a professional environment.

2.    Seek an impartial opinion. Confide in a close friend or loved one who is far removed from the situation. You may find difficulty in determining what you can learn from a particular encounter because of your emotional investment. An unbiased confidant will be willing and able to pick out the potential positive aspects and offer advice on how to proceed.

3.    Remain focused on your ultimate goal. Remember that you and your peers are working for the same company. Your short-term initiatives should be complementary, and your long-term objectives should be highly similar, if not exactly the same. Personal conflicts must always be put aside, not only for the betterment of the company, but also for the advancement of your career.

4.    Keep a positive attitude. You’re learning. You’re moving forward. You’re succeeding. These are all good things. Don’t let a string of negative remarks distract you from your work. If your critics see that their words can’t affect you, the verbal attacks will lose their appeal.

5.    Evaluate yourself. Be aware of your strengths and your weaknesses. Capitalize on the assets, and work diligently to minimize the shortcomings. If you’re already conscious of your faults, statements of criticism will have a much lesser impact.

While it’s important to shield yourself from the negative effects of criticism, you must remain open to the learning experiences such an opportunity may present. Even though the disapproval may prove difficult to accept, the benefits that can ultimately be gained will be long-lasting and significant.

Adapted from “How to Deal With Really Tough Criticism: Five Steps,” Christine M. Riordan, Forbes.com

Are You an Effective Communicator?

First impressions are everything. What are first impressions based on? Communication. When applying for a job, the first step is to communicate your strengths—send a cover letter and résumé. Excellent communication skills assert intelligence and portray a positive image, right from the start. Letters with grammatical errors and lack of purpose are immediately tossed aside, while those that demonstrate superior knowledge and confidence are called in for interviews, which take communication to the next level. Interviewees must then convey an air of professionalism and preparedness through not only their verbal communication skills, but also their body language as well. Essentially, communication is the basis for everything we do. We are communicating every second of every day, whether we realize it or not.

A friend of mine, who is one of the most brilliant people I’ve ever met, unfortunately has very poor communication skills. Even as an honors student, the one subject in school that she never quite seemed to grasp was English. Her intelligence has gotten her far, but she is slowly realizing that she really must sharpen her grammar knowledge in order to be taken seriously.

Grammar is the foundation for communication, but another skill that must be mastered is presentation. Even proficiency in written communication is not enough to compete with the best these days. In order to stand out in a sea of cookie-cutter professionals, one must convey these skills through writing, express them verbally, and finally put them into action. The difficult part here is the verbal presentation. Even the most skilled individuals can appear to be unintelligent through the use of ineffective communication styles. The trick is to convince those around you of your knowledgeability.

Here are some questions to ask yourself when evaluating your communication skills:

How did people react when I spoke? The effectiveness of communication can be easily determined from initial reactions. If colleagues respond negatively or meet your contributions with criticism, your delivery could probably use some work. Positive reactions signal effective portrayal.

Did I make my point? If you are successful in your communications, co-workers will listen carefully and they will take your views into consideration. If you leave meetings feeling as if your point was not accurately conveyed or as if you could have said more to express your thoughts, the chances that others fully grasped your initiative are slim to none.

Did people respect my opinions? Co-workers won’t waste any time on ineffective arguments. Superior ideas will immediately be presented and meetings will move forward quickly from points they perceive to be invalid. If your ideas are generally held in high esteem, others will ask for your thoughts.

If you feel as if your methods of communication don’t quite measure up to those around you, it’s definitely worth the time and effort to reevaluate your techniques. Your peers and your career will surely realize the benefits.

Adapted from “5 Ways to Determine If Your Communication Style is Hurting Your Career,” Kathy Caprino, Forbes.com

Busy Work: The Ultimate Illusion

At some point or another, whether during our education or career, we’ve all undoubtedly come across someone in a position of leadership who is insistent upon the merits of busy work. Professors who dole out countless assignments and superiors who readily make long strings of demands both fall into this unfortunate category. What many fail to accept is that this busy work does not amount to much progress.

A mentor once told me to “work smart, not hard,” and I initially pushed the thought aside in order to do just what he was cautioning me to avoid. It seemed like such an obvious and simple concept that I automatically assumed I was already applying it to my work. It wasn’t until that night as I was mulling over the happenings of my day before bed that I finally came to a realization:  I wasn’t as “smart” as I had previously thought. I had spent my day working through tasks that could have been more easily completed by someone else. It will forever be a struggle of mine to delegate tasks to others and to further prioritize those that I am best suited to complete.

Taking on too much at once creates a sense of what John Kotter, chief innovation officer of Kotter International, calls “false urgency” in a contribution to Forbes’ website. This illusion of a critical situation is essentially a response to the stress created by an overwhelming amount of work looming in the future. We must learn to recognize legitimate urgency for what it truly is and to adjust accordingly. Too much activity is a breeding ground for anxiety, which can only lead to more substantial problems.

Some keys to working smart include:

1. Prioritize – Keep a complete list of tasks that you must complete. Even keeping track of the smallest duties can help you effectively plan your day. Try using word processing software or to-do list applications so you can easily delete and reorder items, and arrange these items in reverse order of due date. Especially crucial tasks should be highlighted and possibly moved to the top of the list.

2. Delegate – It is often horribly difficult to pass work onto others. We can only completely trust ourselves to get the job done correctly, right? While this may be true, certain tasks must be prioritized and entrusted to the care of others for the sake of time. It’s okay to keep a watchful eye out at first, but try to build trust with peers. Learn their specific strengths and make assignments accordingly.

3. Organize – An effective presentation is one that is structured and streamlined. Basically, get to the main point quickly. The minds of busy colleagues are likely to wander should you include heaps of meaningless “fluff” in your argument. Time wasted on an unorganized mess with an unclear objective can be better spent on issues that truly matter.

4. Evaluate – Take the time to step back from your projects, and ask yourself, “Is this really necessary?” Are you making progress? Is your work truly accomplishing something beneficial? By eliminating things that are irrelevant or insignificant, you can find more time in your hectic schedule to devote to what really matters. Remember, it’s okay to take shortcuts as long as you don’t let the quality of your work suffer.

In summary, keep things simple. Work smart, not hard, and never lose focus on the ultimate goal.

Adapted from, “Why Busy Work Doesn’t Work,” John Kotter, Forbes.com